Arts Council Napa Valley Names Visual and Performing Arts Student of the Year for 2025-2026
Twenty-Six Students Receive Scholarships & Awards
Photo Credit: Ezra Alvarez
The Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV) celebrated its Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Student of the Year winners, awarding over $24,000 in scholarships. The recipients were selected from 130 VAPA Student of the Month winners. The 2025-2026 school year was the program’s sixth year, which sought nominations from art educators across Napa Valley. Thanks to generous donations from Festival Napa Valley, Napa Valley Community Foundation, and community donors, ACNV has more than quadrupled its scholarship fund since its inception in 2020.
This year, we are honored to introduce the Levi Rubin Pathfinder Award in honor of a dear past Performing Arts Student of the Year awardee, Levi Rubin, who has since passed away. His family and friends seek to honor his memory by supporting this scholarship program, giving back to students who share Levi’s passion and drive to think creatively and brighten their communities. We are grateful to both the Friends and Family of Levi Rubin and the Kathleen Binnicker Swann Foundation for making the Levi Rubin Pathfinder Award possible.
The program will resume with the new school year, once again seeking nominations from art educators across the county, including public and private schools and homeschooled students from K-12 to college-aged.
Levi Rubin Pathfinder Award
Molly Merkner, Vintage High School Senior
Teacher Kerry McGrath
ACNV Performing Arts Student of the Year
Seth Williams, St. Helena High School Senior
Teacher Patricia Coyle
ACNV Visual Arts Student of the Year
Jessica Hernandez Gasca, Napa High School Senior
Teacher Kristi Crickmore
Festival Napa Valley High School Student of the Year
Annabel Vivanco, Napa High School Senior
Teacher Michael Riendeau
Festival Napa Valley College Student of the Year
Sephanie Hernandez Guardado, Napa Valley College
Teacher May Jong
High School Distinction Awards
HS VAPA Distinction: Visual Arts Up & Coming – Zielle Bell, American Canyon High School Sophomore
Teacher Michelle Thompson
HS VAPA Distinction: Art Activist Award – Ezra Flowers, Justin-Siena High School Senior
Teacher James Thomas Bailey
HS VAPA Distinction: Vocal – Melody Kondor, American Canyon High School Senior
Teacher Jamie Butler
HS VAPA Distinction: Theater – Acting – Annika Chaudhary-Key, Vintage High School Senior
Teacher Patty Profitt
HS VAPA Distinction: Theater – Acting – Emanuel Bairan de Luna, American Canyon High School Senior
Teacher Summer Heartt
HS VAPA Distinction: Multi-Hyphen Artist – Alexis Llamas Mendoza, Justin-Siena High School Senior
Teacher James Thomas Bailey
HS VAPA Distinction: Dance – Jordyn Mosley, Napa High School Senior
Teacher Hollie Johnson
HS VAPA Distinction: Digital Art – Adal Munoz Mendoza, Valley Oak High School Senior
Teacher Evrim Cakir
HS VAPA Distinction: Band – Michelle Villafana, American Canyon High School Senior
Teacher Brendan Day
HS VAPA Distinction: Band – Orlando Piper, Napa High School Senior
Teacher Michael Riendeau
Middle School Distinction Awards
MS VAPA Distinction: Performing Arts Overall – Michaela Waechtler, Silverado Middle School, 8th Grade
Teacher Caitlin Cooper
MS VAPA Distinction: Visual Arts Overall – Kyra Sabelnik, Silverado Middle School, 8th Grade
Teacher Julia Zmed
MS VAPA Distinction: Vocal – Lyla Ford, American Canyon Middle School, 8th Grade
Teacher Jamie Butler
MS VAPA Distinction: Dance – Perla Duran Uribe, Silverado Middle School, 8th Grade
Teachers Wendy Hancock
MS VAPA Distinction: Theater – Acting – Tesla Magaña, Redwood Middle School, 8th Grade
Teacher Teresa Silvagni
MS VAPA Distinction: Theater – Directing – Lora Megia, American Canyon Middle School, 8th Grade
Teacher Sarah Grant
Elementary Distinctions Awards
ES VAPA Distinction: Visual Arts Overall – Elizabeth Bourassa, Shearer Elementary School, 5th Grade
Teacher Shannon Hattyar
ES VAPA Distinction: Performing Arts Overall – Jammaine Jardinero, Canyon Oaks Elementary School, 3rd Grade
Teacher Innie Singharath
ES VAPA Distinguished Student – 4th/5th Grade – Santiago Martinez Segura, Bel Aire Park Magnet School, 5th Grade
Teacher Tere Charney
ES VAPA Distinguished Student – 1st-3rd Grade – Maelyn Taylor, Stone Bridge School, 1st Grade
Teacher Cris Tuckness
ES VAPA Distinguished Student – TK/K – Mia Wilske, Northwood Elementary School
Teacher Erica Reeves
Elementary Distinctions Honorable Mentions
- Nevaeh Mallari, Canyon Oaks Elementary School, 3rd Grade (Teacher Innie Singharath)
- Giovanni Maya Moctezuma, Bel Aire Park Magnet School, 3rd Grade (Teacher Tere Charney)
- Wesley Spear, Stone Bridge School, 1st Grade (Teacher Cris Tuckness)
- Teya Lopes, Canyon Oaks Elementary School, 3rd Grade (Teacher Innie Singharath)
- Vanessa Mergardt, Vichy Elementary School, 4th Grade (Teacher Nick Cann)
- Layne Fishleder, St. John’s Lutheran School, 4th Grade (Teacher Sandra Cassayre)
- Jonah Garcillano, Canyon Oaks Elementary School, 5th Grade (Teacher Elizabeth Corey)
- Alan Bermudez, Bel Aire Park Magnet School, 4th Grade (Teacher Tere Charney)
- Ariadne Ochoa Avalos, Bel Aire Park Magnet School, 5th Grade (Teacher Tere Charney)
- Eva Gonzales, Bel Aire Park Magnet School, 4th Grade (Teacher Tere Charney)
- Jamie Yoder, Willow Elementary School, 4th Grade (Teacher Shannon Hattyar)
- Caroline Wood, St. Apollinaris School, 5th Grade (Teacher Michele Lemieux)
- Ayushma Bhattarai, Canyon Oaks Elementary School, 3rd Grade (Teacher Innie Singharath)
- Victor Nunez, Willow Elementary School, 5th Grade (Teachers Shannon Hattyar & Megan Wolfe)
About Arts Council Napa Valley
Left to right: Dareydy Rojas (Education Assistant), Chris DeNatale (Executive Director), Crysta Tim-Ruiz (Programs & Admin Manager), Lisa Sullivan (Education Alliance Co-Coordinator), Julia Zmed (Education Alliance Co-Coordinator)
As the official local arts agency in Napa County, Arts Council Napa Valley connects, advocates, and leads the arts community countywide. Since 1981 the Arts Council has served to benefit all residents with a more sustainable, accessible, and quality local arts scene. Since the adoption of the Napa County Cultural Plan in
2009, it organized policy initiatives like the City of Napa Percent for Art Ordinance. The Arts Council also offers programs and support, like the Napa Valley Creative Directory, ACNV Community Fund, and VAPA Student of the Month program to empower the industry through education, information, and resources.